N2K: Employer Sponsored Pathway to

Health Careers

Presented by

The Oregon Health Career Center

Why We’re Here

“Our mission is to serve as the focus of a public/private partnership dedicated to addressing healthcare workforce shortages in Oregon via education and training, with a particular emphasis on diversity.”

Our Partners

• Oregon Office of Rural Health• Oregon Workforce Investment

Board• Oregon Association of Hospitals &

Health Systems • Oregon Consortium for Nursing

Education• Oregon Department of Community

Colleges & Workforce Development

Oregon’s Nurse Workforce Crisis

“The nursing shortage is adversely affecting patient care, the safety and morale of the nursing workforce, and is driving up the cost of care. A worsening shortage is predicted over the next decade.”

Northwest Health Foundation

Helping to Address Nursing Shortages

Creating a Contract Education Model

•Adds Educational Capacity•Back-up for Variable Need•Entirely Employer Paid

Changing the Paradigm

Creating a Business Model

•A Need (Demand)•An Education Service

(Supply)•An Investment

An Investment

Traditional Expenses N2K Expenses

• Agency Personnel• Unscheduled Overtime• Relocation Cost• Incentive Bonuses• Retention Costs

• Educational Cost• Clinical Support for Student• Other Support CostsCost Totals

Benefits of a Contract Education Model

• Supports place-bound students and incumbent workers

• Utilizes the strength and economy-of-scale available through partnership

• Actively engages employers

The N2K Model

• Customized Contract Education• Incumbent Workers• Modified Course Schedule• Hospital RN’s as Clinical Adjunct

Faculty• Student Support Services• Employee Returns to Work as an RN

Oregon Health Career Center

• Design and Development• Project Management • Employer Support Services• Community College Support

Best Practices – A Model That Works

• Chemeketa CC Cohort• Central Oregon CC Cohort• Clackamas CC/Kaiser Cohort• Portland CC Cohort• Clackamas CC Cohort (June ’08)• Statewide Cohort (Summer ’08)

Oregon’s Statewide Nursing Ed Program Key

Elements

• Flexible “Virtual” Cohorts• Innovative use of distance

learning technologies• OCNE curriculum • Employer involvement and

support

Oregon Consortium for Nursing

• Partnership with OHCC to coordinate statewide curriculum delivery for contract education

• Leadership to maintain high standards for this nursing education endeavor

Oregon’s Statewide Nursing Education

Program

• Initial cohort will include 18 - 24 qualified employee/students

• Two or three geographic “clusters” of hospitals/community colleges will be included

• Educational services will include a blend of distance learning, local college services and hospital learning sites.

Important Advantages

• Addresses immediate needs of partner hospitals with severe nursing staff shortages

• Doesn’t require a permanent commitment of limited college resources

Minimizes Impact on College Resources

• all resources provided by participating colleges are negotiated in advance.

• project costs incurred by participating colleges are fully paid by the N2K program.

Key Outcomes: Intended…..

• Incumbent workers become

nurses• Hospitals provide needed

financial support• Increase in clinical training

sites

………and Unintended

• Hospital employee morale benefit• Potential for new nursing faculty• Establishing partnerships that can lead

to other collaborative opportunities

Is This Model Replicable?

• Is there a need that’s difficult to fill?• Is there an atmosphere of trust and

collaboration between college and industry?

• Are all parties willing to participate proactively and openly?

• Are all parties willing to think outside the box, question assumptions, explore new ways to build and deliver educational programs?

Gary WappesPresident and CEO

Oregon Health Career Center

503-682-1300 Ext. 104 E-mail: gwappes@ohcc.org

www.ohcc.org